


Spiritualism

by Missy



Category: A League of Their Own (1992)
Genre: F/M, Face Punching, First Kiss, Halloween, Holding Hands, Humor, Mid-Canon, Mock-Possession, Ouija, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Tour Bus, Trick or Treat: Treat, halloween party, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 06:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16090136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: The Peaches play with an Ouija board on Halloween night, which leads to a trick from Kit - and a treat for Jimmy and Dottie.





	Spiritualism

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elegantstupidity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/gifts).



“Oh spirits….”

 

Dottie wrinkled her nose at the over-the-top tone Kit was using as she hunched over the Ouija board that was propped across her knees. It was Halloween; the season was almost over, autumn nearly ready to turn into winter. The end of the season brought ambivalence into her usually confident frame of mind; winter, for Dottie, meant she’d be trapped her back at home, back on the farm, waiting forever for the first shoots of spring grass. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her family, but the future was out there, waiting for her, and she knew it wouldn’t be lying where she was born.

 

Most of the girls had gotten together at the back of the bus for what they could scrounge up for a Halloween party. Someone had found a bottle of whiskey and was passing it around; tinfoil crinkled around snack cakes as they were unwrapped, and candy bars liberated from a vending machine at the last rest stop popped between bright red lips. 

 

“Oh spirits,” said Kit. “Is there a presence in this bus?” Under Kit’s fingertips, the planchette began to wriggle toward the ‘yes’ insignia on the board.

 

“It’s moving!” yelled Betty from a seat away.

 

“Of course it’s moving! This bus’s shaking like hula dancer,” said Doris, leaning bored against her elbow across the aisle.

 

“What’s she doing?” Jimmy asked, heading toward them from the front of the bus. He nudged his way into the bus seat beside Dottie, which encouraged her to shove back. Just another part of the constant give and take between them, she thought to herself, and sat up a little straighter as he got on his knees and peered over the seat toward Kit.

 

“Divining the spirits,” said Alice.

 

“Pulling some grade a horse -“ Mae trailed off as Kit’s eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped forward.

 

“Huh. Well, I didn’t expect that,” Doris said. “I’ve never seen someone look like that…”

 

“I have, but usually I ain’t sitting up when I see it,” Mae said, which got her an elbow in the ribs and a loud guffaw from Doris.

 

Dottie was only tangentially aware of what they were saying. “Kit! Stop it!” she said, diving over the top of the seat.

 

Jimmy followed right after her. “Come on, Kit, cut it out,” Jimmy demanded. He reached for her shoulder and shook her – with his right hand. Dottie didn’t realize she’d grabbed Jimmy’s left until he ran his thumb along the back of her knuckles, reacting to the harsh pitch of her tone. That was fresh as all get out but she didn’t push away his touch. He was only helping her out.

 

All of a sudden, Kit raised her head. “I am the Ghost of the Trailways Bus! I need fresh souls! SOULS!” And then she lurched upward toward Dottie and Jimmy.

 

Every single woman on the bus screamed. _Jimmy_ screamed, not that Dottie was aware of that as she punched her sister right in the mouth in an act of pure self-defense, which sent her flying against the seatback beside her.

 

A second passed. Kit’s eyes rolled back into their proper positions, and she blotted at her bottom lip with her bare hand. And then she burst into laughter. “I got you! I got you so good!”

 

“I’m gonna wring your neck!” Dottie yelled, and suddenly Jimmy was holding her back, as if she’d genuinely beat up her little sister.

 

Kit was rolling with laughter, and the other Peaches were dispersing, going back to their candy, booze and gossip. “C’mon, it’s Halloween! I couldn’t resist!”

 

“Yeah yeah - take my handkerchief, Victoria Helen,” Jimmy snorted, flinging a fairly white-looking piece of cloth toward Kit so she could stop her bleeding. “Hinson, come with me to the front of the bus – I don’t have enough hankies to go around.”

 

There was some mild ‘oohing’ as she stood up and followed Jimmy there. He found a clean towel and applied it gently to bloody knuckles that she hadn’t known she’d injured.

 

“Gotta take care of your hands, Hinson,” he scolded. “We’ve got the series riding on ‘em.”

 

“I don’t need you to tell me how to take care of myself,” she scoffed.

 

“That why you’re already swelling up?” he grabbed an ice-cold bottle of coke – thankfully unopened – from the floor and pressed it to her hand. She hissed softly. “See?”

 

She frowned, but didn’t say anything else as he held on to her hands for a startlingly long time. Then she looked up at him. Whatever was in control of her body, it wasn’t something Dottie either intended or controlled; she smelled sweat, aftershave, and felt the prickle of stubble. 

 

His lips ghosted against hers. The bus suddenly blowing a tire and swerving to a stop at the side of the road provided just enough cover for her to grab him by the ear and really kiss him, kiss him in a way she’d never kissed anyone before. Her blood thudded violently through her body, other parts of her waking up in ways they never had. 

And then the bus had stopped. Dottie opened her eyes and looked over Jimmy’s shoulder to the world outside. The bus was upright; the cursing and complaining of the women scattered behind her confirming they hadn’t hurt themselves. Even the bus driver seemed fine as he looked over his shoulder and rubbed the back of his head. 

 

The driver said, “looks like we had a blowout – lucky that. You two okay back there?”

 

“Fine,” said Jimmy. He straightened up and stood, heading outside to inspect the damage. “The adventure never ends,” he said, and grinned at Dottie one more time before leaving.

 

Nothing had changed, except for the hammering of Dottie’s heart, and the redness of her face, and the way her body had responded. She’d examine all of her feelings later, when she had time alone. But she did know one thing for certain.

 

Ghosts may not be real, but lust certainly seemed to be.

**Author's Note:**

> "Victoria Helen" is a reference to Victoria Helen Duncan, a popular spiritualist who went on trial for witchcraft after being accused of manipulating war widows in 1944. [You can read more about her here](https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/victoria-helen-duncan-and-britains-world-war-ii-witch-trial/). Maybe a bit of an unusual reference for Jimmy, but I couldn't resist.


End file.
